


Five Times Susan And Talia Talked About Telepathy

by Leyenn



Series: Swordplay [1]
Category: Babylon 5
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-16
Updated: 2009-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-03 03:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leyenn/pseuds/Leyenn





	Five Times Susan And Talia Talked About Telepathy

**   
_insight (november 2259)_   
**

"I never liked him much," Susan says thoughtfully, stirring cream into her coffee.

Talia looks at her sideways, her own cup halfway to her lips, and balances it against her fingertips for a moment instead. "Really?"

"Mm hmm."

"Why?" She takes a sip of coffee.

"Just a feeling." Susan shrugs. "Don't you ever feel that about someone? That they're just not..." She gestures. Talia smiles from behind the rim of her cup.

"All the time. But then, that's what I'm supposed to do."

Susan smiles back at her, curious. "But surely there's a difference between what you read professionally and what you feel."

Talia smirks. "You mean I probably like a few people I shouldn't."

"Or dislike a few."

"Are we talking about me or you? I think I'm getting confused."

Susan shrugs and sips her coffee. "Just in the hypothetical."

"Ah." Talia's eyes sparkle with amusement. "Well, just in the hypothetical - yes, I suppose there is a difference. An element of intuition, I suppose you'd call it."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I don't always listen to my mind's first impressions," Talia says with just a hint of a smile. Susan returns it with just a hint more.

"Well, I imagine that's not always a bad thing...?"

Talia looks at her and lets the smile come. "No, not always."

  


*

  


** _discipline (august 2258)_ **

Talia's on her way to get lunch, and Susan happens to be idly browsing the Zocalo on her first afternoon off for weeks, and it's completely coincidental that they bump into each other at the corner of the Eclipse.

Talia doesn't know what to say: she settles for, "Hi," which sounds awkward and not right at all, and she hopes it's not too obvious how much she wishes it were otherwise.

Susan smiles politely. "Hi." She doesn't say anything else, but she doesn't keep walking, either, and Talia finds herself saying,

"I was just on my way to get something to eat," and hoping it doesn't sound completely transparent to add, "would you like to join me?"

She doesn't expect the answer she'd like, but somehow they end up taking the closest table at the café: Susan orders cappuccino and pasta, Talia a green salad and juice. There's a moment of hesitation, an awkward silence before Talia says, "I got a letter from Alisa yesterday." It's the first one she's had: she's already read it three times.

Susan relaxes, as if having something they can talk about gives her permission. "Oh? How's she enjoying Minbar?"

"Oh, it sounds beautiful," Talia says. She unfolds the appointment case on the table beside her arm and pulls out a print of the letter, folded in half. "Here, read it, if you like-"

But Susan's already saying, "no, I don't want to intrude-" so she finds herself shaking her head, pressing the letter into Susan's hands, saying,

"Really, it's fine," and trying not to be too pleased when Susan gives in and unfolds the letter to read it.

"Her training sounds like it's going well," Susan says.

"Yes," Talia says. "She's enjoying it, I think."

"Sounds that way." Susan smiles at her over Alisa's letter, and even though she knows it's an innocent slip she does her best not to blush.

  


*

  


** _genetics (february 2261)_ **

It isn't the first time they've talked about this, or they wouldn't be here at all, but she still can't quite believe they're sitting here, well - actually talking about it.

"You're aware that any daughter you have with Talia, she'll certainly be a telepath."

She glances at Talia; watches her curl her fingers together and turn the ring on her finger absently with her thumb, and smiles dryly. "I had worked that much out, yes."

"I just want to be sure you know the probabilities."

"It's not a disease, Stephen." Even if she hadn't picked up a refresher from what he's already given them to look at, it wouldn't exactly have been difficult to work out. Talia's genome is a matter of public Corps record: Susan's just the missing factor. "Besides, there are no probabilities on a sure thing." She tries valiantly not to twitch in the chair. "Are you going to give us those results or not? In case you hadn't noticed, we've still got a war to be winning out there."

Stephen passes a thin folder across his desk. "Dependent obviously on your choice of donor roles, the tests indicate you have an average ninety-four percent compatibility. By today's standards those are some of the best odds I've seen. I don't think you'll have any trouble..."

He leaves the sentence hanging, but it's obvious without two telepaths in the room why. She looks at Talia, raises an eyebrow.

_Should I tell him...?_

Talia smiles. _You are terrible, Susan. A rumor like that would be all over the station by morning._ She looks back across the desk; the ring on her finger presses against the folder in her hands. "Not for a long while, Stephen. We just wanted to know where we stand."

Susan grins. "I promise, you'll be the first to know," she says. "Well. Third."

  


*

  


** _connection (september 2263)_ **

"I can't believe you're going through with this!"

"Susan-"

"Do you _know_ what they'll do if they catch you in their space? Damn it, have you even been watching the news casts?"

"You know I have!" Talia takes her hand and pulls her close. "Susan." _Susan. You know I'm right._

"Don't you _dare_ try and play logic into this."

"I'll have the best protection. And it's not as if I can't take care of myself if I have to."

Susan lets out a hiss of breath that sounds far too much like letting off steam. Literally. "Damn it, that's not the point and you know it."

"I know." Talia smiles. "I'll miss you, too."

"That's not..." But Talia's looking at her, and Susan sighs. "I hate when you're not here. I hate the damned headache, I hate dreaming alone, I hate feeling like I've lost you somewhere-"

_You,_ and Talia leans in and kisses her to make the point, _are never going to manage to lose me._

_I'm worried about you. I do have the right to be._

_Of course you do._ Talia runs a soft caress across her cheek and touches her lips with a finger. "Don't tell anyone, but I like it."

Susan starts to smile. _My lips are sealed._ She kisses Talia's fingertips. _At least tell me you're not going to be gone long._

Talia sketches the flight plan for her roughly in her head. "A week at the most. I promise."

Susan runs over the route with a scowl, but when she's finished she lets it slide. "Well, the least you can do is start making up for this little week's vacation in advance."

Talia laughs and kisses her again. _That, I can do._

  


*

  


** _law (april 2260)_ **

Her fingers are shaking a little when she signs the papers, half with the effort of not making a mistake - she really doesn't have time to start over again - and half with just the enormity of what she's doing.

They don't really stop completely until she's lying in bed, in the dark, and Susan slips one hand over hers and tucks their bare, tightly tangled fingers under the pillow.

She smiles. "I'm all right."

"No, you're not." Susan strokes a finger gently over her cheek. "But that's okay. Give it some time to sink in."

She lets out the breath she's holding in a shuddered sigh. "I just..."

Susan's wandering fingertips land on her lips. "I know."

_Do you, really?_

Susan smiles. "Well, maybe not exactly, but I imagine it's something like being thrown out into open space on your own for the first time. Am I right?"

"I feel naked," she admits, her lips moving against Susan's touch. Susan grins.

"You are."

"You know what I mean."

"Do I?" Susan's teasing, but Talia knows; she does.

"Inside," she says, softer, more serious. Susan's free hand strokes down to her back, draws her in close, and Susan kisses her.

"It's gonna be fine," she whispers, squeezing their naked fingers together, and Talia believes it.

  


*

  



End file.
